Filbert returns on a really rather pleasant Bank Holiday morning with a themed puzzle.
I can imagine there’s the usual grumbling when a sport themed crossword comes along, but very little knowledge of the game is actually required.
I found bits of this quite tricky but thanks Filbert, he’s good this chap.
I can’t see any more hidden in the grid other than a probably unfortunate DAFT.
Across
1 Entertainer Jimmy White, chalky face? (5)
CLIFF
A double def. Singer Jimmy CLIFF & the white CLIFFs of Dover say/
4 He hammers end off sharp point (4)
THOR
That noisy Norse God; with the end taken off THOR(n). Second clue in and the Theme / Nina alarm is going off in my head, is the next answer BURN by any chance?
7 Stream or save to disc? (4)
BURN
Well yes it is it a double definition, Oh and look Cliff Thorburn Snooker play who scored the 147 break on tele. And the clue numbers are 1 4 & 7 …..
10 Architect‘s resistance stopping urban sprawl (4)
WREN
R(esistance) inside the great WEN as London was known
11 14’s very prominent work of art (4,6)
HIGH RELIEF
14 is BIG BREAK – so BIG = HIGH and a BREAK is a RELIEF
12 Speeding up (6)
FLYING
Another Double Def
13 Reward scheme to put Davis on television? (3,5)
AIR MILES
If MILES DAVIS were to to be put on tele, you’d AIR MILES. Not a clue designed to make you think of Joe, Fred or Steve Davis at all, no way. Honest guv.
14 Fat chance this will give you a good start (3,5)
BIG BREAK
FAT = BIG and BREAK – chance as in “give me a break”. Big break was a quiz show based on Snooker with Jim Davison and John Virgo
16 Like Parrott said, it’s all square (6)
PARITY
“Pieces of Seven!” “Pieces of Seven!” <SQUAWK> – It’s a Parrot-y error.
17 Provide entertainment and sport with dire TV … (6)
DIVERT
The first anagram today. [DIRE TV]* is sported
19 … show, forgetting how ratings bombed for Virgo, among others (4,4)
STAR SIGN
S(how) with HOW forgotten & RATINGS* bombed
21 Troubled champion Ronnie half-heartedly fiddled with hat (4-4)
ANTI-HERO
With half of the heart of it gone [RON(n)IE & HAT]* fiddled with.
23 See 9 Down
25 Confused after Merkel abandons her last EU principle? (4,6)
FREE MARKET
without the last letter of [MERKE(l) & AFTER]* confused. Very nicely done Filbert..
26 New deli sold a pork pie (4)
LIED
a new DELI*
27 Peter, for one, pots a red in the middle (4)
TSAR
Answer is hidden in poTS A Red. I did wonder if there was going to be a match for 1, 4 7 in the grid but it would seem not.
28/29 Peasant made hole in sound equipment to catch a wave (9)
SURFBOARD
Sounds like SERF BORED
Down
2 Learning Garland’s a beautiful German singer (7)
LORELEI
LORE – learning & LEI – Garland, not Judy
3 Light infantryman’s causes of athlete’s foot? (5)
FUNGI
LIGHT – humorous – FUN & a G.I. Are G.I’s infantry? well I guess in crosswords it’s close enough 🙂
5 In Hong Kong taxi travel up long hill (7)
HOGBACK
CAB – taxi & GO- travel both reversed in H(ong) K(ong)
6 Compared to pink, blue is thinner (5)
RARER
Think steaks. BLUE steaks are almost still mooing and are considerably rarer then pink ones
7 Police raids, possibly, a pastime with hazards? (9)
BILLIARDS
The old BILL & RAIDS* possibly
8 Missing a black, celebrate wryly and return to seat (2-5)
RE-ELECT
Take the A and B(lack) out of CELE(b)R(a)TE* wryly.
9/23 Film showing 14’s definitive response to difficult 19D? (3,5,6)
THE GREAT ESCAPE
14 is a BIG BREAK and 19d is a SNOOKER and getting out of a snooker is called escaping, so the best one would be THE GREAT ESCAPE
15 King divides snack with queen, as supporter of sovereignty (9)
BREXITEER
REX – King inside BITE – snack & E.R. – her Maj. I feel a moan and a need to remoan about the clue though…
16 Put books on a bloody disc (8)
PLACENTA
If you need to check the definition then go and do so! PLACE – put & N(ew) T(estament) & A
18 Tries to avoid Italian gentleman cycling (7)
IGNORES
a cycled SIGNORE with the S moved to the end
19 Game of 1 4 7a & 14; 7d, of a sort (7)
SNOOKER
Triple definition
20 Wearing kit, regularly apply for 14 after school (3,4)
GAP YEAR
A(p)P(l)Y regularly inside GEAR for kit
22 Hack upset, writing papers for students (5)
EXAMS
AXE – hack reversed & M(anu)S(cript) – writing, hmm maybe
24 Mean chamber group’s third Stradivarius? (5)
CELLO
CELL – a mean chamber plus the third letter of (gr)O(up)
Great puzzle, particularly enjoyed the clue for CLIFF and of course the link with THOR BURN.
Bit disappointed no room could be found for Bill Werbeniuk.
I wasn’t entirely convinced by the FREE MARKET definition; I think that is not the same as the SINGLE MARKET, or perhaps I’ve been reading too much by Daniel Hannan (ie one syllable).
Thanks to Filbert and flashling. Nice one.
The snooker clues didn’t cause any problems although I did fall into the trap at 13a – thought Steve had to be in there somewhere! It was a huge relief to spot CLIFF THORBURN – 4a could have taken much longer to fall otherwise.
I’d forgotten about the 10a urban sprawl and didn’t know that a HOGBACK is a ‘long hill’ – seems a rather odd analogy.
Thanks to Filbert for an enjoyable puzzle and to flashling – particularly for justifying the mention of 14a in the clue for HIGH RELIEF which had eluded me.
Yes, lovely puzzle. 10a, unbelievably, was the last in.
I’d never heard of Cliff Thorburn but I have seen Steve Davis get the lot down in one break.And I remember his Spotting Image appearances.With the result i was completely nuttmegged by “Davis” in a clue where the puzzle was obviously about Snooker. I am a lifelong Miles fan by the way.
So I very much enjoyed this.Looking at the first row I thought lets look that up!
Filbert on good form here.Keep up the good work.
Thanks filbert and flashling
Great crossword from a great setter. Despite the wording in 19d, I still missed the 147 reference.
13a reminded me of Ted Lowe, remarking on Fred Davies, “too old to get his leg over, prefers to use his left hand”.
Just to add to the above: Cliff Thorburn was the first player to get a 147 break in the World Championship and, of course, the final of said tournament takes place today.
A very enjoyable and not too challenging puzzle, just right for a bank holiday. Thanks, Filbert and flashling.
I’m woefully inadequate in my snooker knowledge but luckily I solved this in the pub where friends were getting quite excited about all the references.
However I had filled in high roller for 11a, some subliminal surfing thing no doubt inspired by 28a and 14a.
Clever puzzle including some political references, many thanks filbert.
Not sure I understood the need for mean in 24a and I though Stradivarius made violins, what am I missing?
Many thanks Flashling, brilliant seeing you Saturday
Dutch@8: I put HIGH ROLLER in for 11ac, too. Not familiar with HIGH RELIEF as a phrase.
Stradivarius made all types of string instruments.
Good fun and I liked the theme though I’m another who fell at 11a with an unparsed ‘high roller’.
Dutch @8 – Stradivarius made cellos, violas and even guitars as well as violins.
Only one complaint. Where’s our Eddie, I think the first player to get a 147 break on “Pot Black”?
Thanks to Filbert and flashing.
Thanks Flashling for the very nice blog, and everyone for solving and commenting.
I had a lot of fun putting this together but it needed plenty of editing, so thanks also to Eimi for the help and for knocking it into a pottable position.
@dutch grand to see you too and all my crossword chums. A big thank you to Anarche too, she knows why. @Filbert I’m just glad it wasn’t as tough as you can be! Come to one of our dos.
Having spotted the theme for once, 13a reminded me of Graham Miles, but I think I’m just showing my age. Fun puzzle, thanks to S&B, the two Fs.
Well, Flashling, I’m just glad it wasn’t as tough as you can be ?
I spend about 20 minutes looking at the grid without entering one single answer.
Funny enough, after I spotted the snooker theme everything went in relatively quickly. Wasn’t really taken by the cryptic definitions of 6d (RARER) and 9/23 (THE GREAT ESCAPE) [nor by the charades of 11ac and 14ac] but I did know that Stradivarius also made cellos!
On hindsight, I think (the to me completely unknown) CLIFF THOR/BURN is splendid, certainly given the 1,4,7.
I am still not yet on Filbert’s wavelength [meaning not fully sure what and which level to expect] and therefore I made too much heavy weather of it.
Nonetheless, very nice crossword [did he say at the very end]!